Voting & Civil Rights
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This page discusses the main government agencies that help Native Americans. It also discusses other helpful groups.
U.S. Department of the Interior - Indian Affairs
Indian Affairs (IA) is the oldest division of the U.S. Department of the Interior. It provides services to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). There are 574 recognized AI/AN tribes in the U.S. There are about 1.9 million Alaska Natives and American Indians.
There are two main bureaus within IA. They are:
- The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and
- The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
BIA is in charge of 55 million acres of land for:
- American Indians,
- Indian tribes, and
- Alaska Natives.
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)
BIE provides education services for about 42,000 AI/AN students.
Tribal Enrollment
Each tribe makes its own rules for enrollment. To join, you must:
- Decide which you are claiming heritage from, and
- Contact the tribe using the Tribal Leaders Directory.
Certificate Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB)
The BIA will issue a CDIB that shows your:
- Blood quantum, and
- Tribal affiliation.
Contact the BIA agency for your tribe to get a CDIB card.
Getting a CDIB card is different from gaining membership in a tribe.
Financial Assistance and Social Services (FASS)
The FASS program gives money and other services to people who need them. It is for people who cannot get Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). The FASS program includes:
- General assistance,
- Child assistance,
- Burial assistance,
- Emergency assistance, and
- Adult care assistance.
Learn more on the BIA website.
Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and juvenile justice
ICWA is a federal law. It applies in custody cases with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children, including foster care, termination of parental rights, and adoption . It also tells states how to handle child abuse and adoption cases for AI/AN children.
ICWA protects AI/AN children and supports the stability of tribes and AI/AN families. In custody cases, ICWA helps keep AI/AN families together and helps maintain tribal bonds. For foster care and adoption placements, ICWA generally gives preference to the child’s extended family, followed by their tribe, and then other AI/AN placements. ICWA also says that foster care and pre-adoptive placements should honor sibling attachment, and be as close to the child’s home, extended family, and siblings as possible.
Learn more by reading this and other juvenile justice resources.
Adult protective services
IA provides social services to the elderly and disabled. They aim to improve the quality of life and protect against abuse. For more information, read IA resources.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Native American Veterans may be eligible for benefits. These might include:
- Disability compensation,
- Pension,
- Education and training,
- Health care,
- Home loans,
- Insurance,
- Veteran readiness and employment, and
- Burial.
See the VA website for the benefits available to all Veterans.
Violence prevention resources
- Tribal Orders of Protection Resources
- Domestic Violence Awareness Resources
- Sexual Assault Awareness Resources
- Human Trafficking resources
- Child Abuse and Neglect Publications
Native-based legal organizations
- National Native Bar Association
- Native American Concerns Committee of the American Bar Association (ABA)
- Tribal Courts Council of the ABA Judicial Division
- Tribal Law and Policy Institute
